Service quality continues to be a challenging topic in contemporary quality management theory and practice. Unlike products, services are not easily measured, tested or controlled for quality and this topic has been the subject of study from different perspectives since the early 1980s. Researchers (e.g., Grönroos, 1984; Parasuraman et al., 1985, 1988, 2005; and Cronin and Taylor, 1992) in the field of marketing have contributed significantly to the understanding of the core premises of service quality. The most consistent findings of the three decades of service quality research are that: (i) service quality is more difficult for the consumer to evaluate than product quality; (ii) service quality perceptions result from a comparison of consumer expectations with actual service performance; and
(iii) quality evaluations are not based solely on the outcome of a service but also involve evaluation of the delivery process. Over the past three decades or so, many industry-specific models of service quality have been published in the literature. The present paper attempts to review 28 popular service quality models in the light of ever changing industrial scenario and analyze them for suitability/need for modifications in the context of small-medium manufacturing units.

Description

Service quality continues to be a challenging topic in contemporary quality management theory and practice. Unlike products, services are not easily measured, tested or controlled for quality and this topic has been the subject of study from different perspectives since the early 1980s. Researchers (e.g., Grönroos, 1984; Parasuraman et al., 1985, 1988, 2005; and Cronin and Taylor, 1992) in the field of marketing have contributed significantly to the understanding of the core premises of service quality. The most consistent findings of the three decades of service quality research are that: (i) service quality is more difficult for the consumer to evaluate than product quality; (ii) service quality perceptions result from a comparison of consumer expectations with actual service performance; and

(iii) quality evaluations are not based solely on the outcome of a service but also involve evaluation of the delivery process. Over the past three decades or so, many industry-specific models of service quality have been published in the literature. The present paper attempts to review 28 popular service quality models in the light of ever changing industrial scenario and analyze them for suitability/need for modifications in the context of small-medium manufacturing units.

Keywords

Supply Chain Management Journal,Service Characteristics,Classification and Concept of Service Product, Service Quality as a Multi-Disciplinary Perspective, Service Quality in the Supply Chain.